Why LeBron James Shouldn't Say Goodbye To Cleveland

With Game 6 in the Cavaliers-Celtics series on the horizon tonight, many voices are wondering aloud if this is the last game that LeBron James will ever play in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform. Speculation has insisted for more than a year about where LBJ will go in 2010, but that has intensified after his disengaged and bizarre performance in Game 5. His effort in Game 5 has caused several voices in the media, thousands of deranged and depressed Cleveland fans, and conspiracy theorists across the country to declare that LeBron James quit on his team to move on to the promised land - the New York Knicks.

Why?

Stop and ask yourself that question.

Why?

Why would LeBron quit on his team? Why is New York such a great destination for James? Why does the NBA need LeBron in New York? Why does LeBron need to leave Cleveland?

I don't want to focus so much on what happened to LBJ in Game 5 - let's face it, nobody knows what's going through his head/elbow/mind or whatever. I want to focus on the rush to put the final nail on LeBron's time in Cleveland.

The deluge of articles proclaiming Game 5 as LEBRON'S GOODBYE TO CLEVELAND and discussing the future can be seen at ESPN, SI, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, New York Post, and ESPN again.

We've heard statements about the death of basketball in Cleveland coming, we've heard the odds discussed on where LeBron is going (not staying), and we've heard ad nauseum from arrogant northeasterners that LeBron needs to leave.

Again... why?

Are the Knicks really a national team alongside the Yankees and Cowboys and Red Wings? Does the health and vitality of the NBA and sports itself hinge upon whether or not LeBron James plays 41 games a year in MSG instead of 2? If Peyton Manning can be the most well-known and popular player in the most popular sport in America... why can't LeBron do the same in Cleveland? Hasn't he already accomplished that anyways?

As someone who lives in Ohio, the rush to put the Cavs away, to write the obituary on LeBron's time in Cleveland, to drool over his free agent recruitment tour, and the necessity to extoll the virtues of New York City over Cleveland is disgusting. Many people saying this are ones that praise parity in the NFL and decry the Yankees for their robbing from the poor teams of Major League Baseball. The fatalistic attitude of Clevelanders is only enhanced by folks wetting their pants that another heartbreak is coming their way and the King is saying goodbye.

Our favorite sports media personality Colin Cowherd spoke of LeBron as a young man who has felt that his time has come on to move somewhere. Basically saying in glowing terms that Cleveland and Akron suck and it was time to go to greener pastures. In an interview, Chris Sheridan was all too happy to go along with this sentiment that nobody wants to live in Northeast Ohio their whole life when all of the riches, happiness, success, and championships await him in New York (a team that hasn't won a title since 1973 by the way), or even Chicago.

It makes me sick.

I earnestly hope that LBJ stays in Cleveland, just to stick it to these elitist fools. I hope he puts up 50 in Game 6 and wins a title this year. The entire country outside the Northeast corridor could care less where the King places his throne. Why is the media so anxious to rip this guy off his home team and write the death sentence for basketball in Cleveland? Why are they so anxious to place more suffering on Cleveland fans that have seen the Browns taken away, the Indians destroy a championship contender, and no titles since 1964?

In fairness, LeBron has done this to himself. He's the one that wants the attention, he's the one that wants to be a free agent, and he's the one that clouds his future. He's the one that no-showed Game 5 and he's the one that hasn't carried a team to a title yet. He's the one that had John Calipari and Jay-Z courtside. But, this isn't your typical coverage regarding a free agent. We consistently hear that LeBron needs New York, New York needs LeBron, and the NBA needs LeBron in New York.

Why does the NBA need LeBron in New York. I'm sorry, but the last 2 or 3 years have seen the NBA reach its height in the post-Jordan age... with the Knicks sucking and LeBron playing his basketball in Cleveland. Idiots like Cowherd and others make the argument that leagues like the NBA need the Knicks and the big markets to bring in ratings, money, and notoriety. Does a 3 point boost in the ratings justify this arrogant nonsense?

Does that seem American to you? Does that seem like the way sports should be? Let's just tell the Colts that the Giants need Peyton Manning more than Indy does. Let's tell the Phillies that the Red Sox need Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay. Let's tell the Saints that the Cowboys need Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Let's redistribute all of the talented players in the world to the big cities that justly deserve them. Why? Well... because everybody wins, right? The New York fans win (and hey, there's more of them, plus they deserve LeBron more than his home state does). The NBA wins. And, LeBron wins.

Nobody knows what's going through LeBron's head before Game 6, but I hope it's not any of these thoughts. I hope he tries to win a title and plays a great game tonight. I hope he doesn't believe that he can't be the global icon that he wants to be by playing in Cleveland.

A couple years ago I traveled to rural Belize. It's a great place, but not exactly the cultural epicenter of the world. It's about as far away from New York as you can get. Who was the one celebrity figure that I saw in an advertisement in the country?

LeBron James. On a Sprite poster. In a Cavs uniform. Just a kid from Akron.

Bulls%*t he needs New York.

**Update

-Well, I'm glad I'm not alone, because just now Chris Broussard has a great article preaching the same message - without the Ohio bias and anger.

RSS Top 10 - Biggest Playoff Beatdowns Ever

The massive beatdown that the Magic just handed the Hawks, along with the other playoff sweeps, got our minds churning about the biggest beatdowns to ever take place in the postseason. We scanned the history books (or in this case, Wikipedia) and came up with 10 pulverizing postseason performances from the 4 major pro sports... and 1 European treat. Without further adieu, hide the women and children, here comes the pain.

10) 2007 World Series - Boston Red Sox 4-0 Colorado Rockies

-Rocktober came like a flash... and then died a quick and painful death. The Rockies entered the 2007 Series winning 21 out of 22 games including sweeps in the NLDS and NLCS. They ended up getting swept themselves by the Red Sox. The Sox set the tone in the Series by winning Game 1 13-1 and then outscoring the Rocks 29-11 in the entire series. This series comes in at #10 because of 2 1-run games in Game 2 and the closeout in Game 4. Here's the final out as Jonathon Papelbon striking out someone named Seth Smith for the final out...

9) 1983 Stanley Cup Finals - New York Islanders 4-0 Edmonton Oilers

-This was one of those rare instances in sports where two dominant eras cross paths (yes, the Islanders were good a long, long time ago). The New York Islanders won their 4th straight Stanley Cup and established themselves as one of the greatest dynasties in NHL history by beating the young, talented Oilers. The Islanders held Wayne Gretzky, in his first Finals appearance, to 0 goals and 4 assists. Duane and Brent Sutter and Mike Bossy led the Islanders in a comprehensive sweep - outscoring Edmonton 17-6 in the series with no game being closer than 2 goals. The Oilers would start their own dynasty the next season. They beat the Islanders and ended their historic run with a 4-1 victory in the '84 Finals, evidently with the help of some soft elevator music in the final game.

8) 1932 World Series - New York Yankees 4-0 Chicago Cubs

-The 1932 World Series is known for one thing - Babe Ruth's called shot at Wrigley Field. Whether it is fact or fiction, it is symbolic of the merciless beatdown the Yanks laid on the Cubs. The Bronx Bombers featured 10 Hall of Famers, including Ruth in his last World Series. They scored 37 runs in 4 games and outscored the Cubs by an average of 4.5 runs per game. It is tied with the A's sweep of the Giants in 1989, but those teams also had an earthquake to deal with. Plus, when you lay a beatdown on a team, and let them know it's coming ahead of time like the Bambino did - you earn a spot on our list.

7) Super Bowl XXIV - San Francisco 49ers 55-10 Denver Broncos

-The biggest blowout in Super Bowl history came at the close of the 1989 season and was a fitting end to the Niners' run of dominance in the 80's. San Fran scored at least 2 TDs in each quarter and set numerous records in the game outgaining the Broncos by 294 yards. Joe Montana threw for 297 yards and 5 TDs (3 to Jerry Rice) while John Elway was 10/26 for 108 yards and 2 INTs. It gets the edge over Super Bowl XX and XXXVII of the total beatdown from start to finish, and here's the video proof.

6) 2001 NBA Western Conference Finals - Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 San Antonio Spurs

-The '01 Lakers are arguably the best NBA team of the millenium, and they were a total of 15-1 in the playoffs, which included a sweep through the entire Western Conference and the once champion Spurs. The Lakers won games of 29, 19, and 14 points and the Spurs, with homecourt advantage, never finished within 7 points of Kobe and Shaq. Until this year, it was the most lopsided sweep in NBA playoff history. The Spurs and Lakers would go on to dominate the 2000's in the NBA with a total of 7 titles and play more memorable series than this, but this was definitely the biggest beatdown. Check out Kobe going off in Game 3...

5) 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs 1st Round - New Jersey Devils 4-0 New York Rangers

-This was the most anticipated series of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round. The Rangers were back in the playoffs after a 9 year drought, and the Devils won their division after being down 19 points earlier in the year. The compelling series turned into a whitewash with the Rangers leading only once the entire series, briefly in Game 4. The Devils won the first 2 games 10-2 at home before going to MSG and continuing the hammering winning Game 3 3-0 and Game 4 4-2. New Jersey was also able to knock Rangers star Jaromir Jagr out of multiple games during the series. The Devils would lose in the next round, but at least they took their local rivals to the woodshed. And what's better than a Youtube compilation of the series starring... Dean Martin! I'm serious.

4) 2009 Champions League Round of 16 - Bayern Munich 12-1 Sporting Portugal (aggregate)

-OK, so we cheated a little bit, but you had to expect at least one entry to come from world sports. The 1st Round of the Champions League knockout stage saw German champs Bayern Munich face Sporting Lisbon of Portugal. The Portugese were underdogs, but hosted Bayern in the first leg of a 2 game aggregate series. Bayern responding by winning 5-0 in Portugal, putting the series away in the first game. They didn't take pity in the 2nd leg by winning 7-1 in Munich and finishing up the biggest blowout in CL history. To put this in perspective, imagine your favorite NFL team playing a home and home total points series in the Wild Card Round. Let's say a goal stands for a touchdown. You lose 35-0 at home and then have to face the indignation of traveling on the road knowing defeat is inevitable only to get blown out by an even worse 49-7 score. Yea, that's a painful beatdown. We'll let the highlights of the 2nd leg speak for themselves, since we don't speak German.

3) 1991 AFC Championship - Buffalo Bills 51 Oakland Raiders 3

-This game was the first of four straight victories in the AFC Championship by the Bills, and was by far the most lopsided. After each team's opening drive, the Bills led 7-3, then would go on to score 44 unanswered points, including a 41-3 score at halftime! Sometimes, dominance is in the eye of the beholder, and other times stats tell the story. This would be one of the latter cases. Raiders QB Jay Schroeder (yeah, who would have thought) was intercepted 5 times while Marcus Allen was held to only 26 yards on 10 carries. Meanwhile, the Bills had over 500 yards of offense in one of the most lopsided single-game defeats in playoff history. Here now, the extended highlights, and listen for the smart analysis from none other than Bill Walsh!

2) 2010 NBA Playoffs Second Round - Orlando Magic 4-0 Atlanta Hawks

-The inspiration for our Top 10 was the recent whooping laid on the Atlanta Hawks by the Orlando Magic. First, the Magic set a record for total margin of victory in the NBA Playoffs with a +101 differential. Game 1 alone was won by the Magic by 43 points! But it wasn't just the clear dominance of Dwight Howard and the Magic, it was the way the Hawks rolled over and died as a team. Hawks players were openly questioning whether they could even beat the Magic almost as soon as the series started. Their coach, Mike Woodson, openly questioned the effort of his team. To top it all off, Joe Johnson called out his team's fans saying, "We could care less if they show up." Wow. It's one thing to be undermanned in a 7-game series, or to be totally outplayed, or even swept. But, the level of soul-sapping domination by the Magic was impossible to watch for even the most sadistic sports fans. The Game 1 highlights are enough to do this series justice...

1) 1940 NFL Championship - Chicago Bears 73-0 Washington Redskins

-But, #1 on our list goes to the single worst beatdown in NFL history and playoff history. The 1940 NFL Championship, in the era before the Super Bowl, was the latest installment in the rivalry between the Bears and Redskins. But, this time Bears coach George Halas had an extra trick up his sleeve for Sammy Baugh and the 'Skins... the T-formation. The tone was set on the Bears second play when Bill Osmanski ran for a 68-yard touchdown (sprung by a crushing block by George Wilson) and the Monsters of the Midway just didn't stop.

They led 28-0 at the half, then scored 26 and 19 in the next two quarters for record domination. Chicago had 8 interceptions (including 3 returned for TDs) and racked up over 500 yards of offense and 300 yards rushing. The game got so bad, officials had to plead with George Halas to run or pass for his extra point, for risk of losing the last game ball on a kick. When you have to change the rules during the game because of too many touchdowns... that's an all-time beatdown.

Those are our all-time playoff beatdowns. Do you agree with our rankings, did we miss out on any? Let us know by leaving a comment below or following us on Twitter @RSS_Sports. Until next time, it's bye for now!

Special Comment: AP = Always Pathetic

Am I the only one who is just flabbergasted with the AP calling a re-vote on their precious NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after the Brian Cushing revelation? It is just idiotic and pretentious for the AP to make a big scene about Cushing's test. After all, does it really mean anything or hold any credence? No. It is just a nice thing to win. In the long run though, it just goes to show the hypocrisy and utter worthless value these awards have. Need evidence?

2002: NFL Defensive ROY was Julius Peppers for the then Carolina Panthers. What happened to Peppers? He was suspended the final 4 games of that season for taking a banned dietary supplement. The result; no "rev-ote", no stripping of the award. N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

2005: Shawne Merriman, after winning the award and playing phenomenally in the Pro Bowl, was found to have taken steroids, not "performing enhancing drugs", steroids. The end result; nothing. He still is known as the 2005 Defensive ROY.

Do you see the evident double-standard here? Why should Cushing lose the award when Peppers and Merriman, who were found guilty of practically the same thing, be off scot free? The pretentious people who vote on this joke of an award (looking at you John Clayton and Peter King) need to get off their high horse and realize that their vote means (cue Jim Mora) diddly poo.

Cushing did test positive in September of 2009, but he did have to play the rest of the season while being tested and passed all those tests, and still put up numbers worthy enough to be dubbed ROY. I can only see this backfiring in any sport which hands out awards like these. If Sean Payton is found guilty of stealing Vicodin, will they strip him or any awards? Will LT be removed from the Hall of Fame for his latest indiscretion? Roger Clemens and his Cy Young Awards? Bonds?! A line has to be drawn in regards to these silly "re-votes", because who knows where it will lead.

Shame on you, AP voters who condone this and will re-vote for someone other than Cushing. Oh, I'm sorry that you feel cheated that your precious vote went to someone who didn't play the game as cleanly as you would like. You know who I think would feel the most cheated? Jarious Byrd, Clay Matthews and Brian Orakpo - the candidates . How would you like to be the guy who wins this award after a re-vote? Nice to have an accomplishment accompanied by an "*".

NBA & NHL Playoff Pulse - Winding Down Round 2

As Round 2 comes to a close, there are some teams that have gone out with a whimper (see picture), some teams that exorcised demons in advancing, and some teams that are locked in classic duels to get one step closer to raising the trophy at the end of the season. Let's check the Playoff Pulse as we inch towards the Conference Finals.

1) Biggest Winner - Montreal Canadiens

-The Habs have emerged as the model for all #8 seeds to live by. They got in on the last weekend of the season, and entered the playoffs with the least number of points of any team. Most NHL observers, and us Johnny come lately Stanley Cup fans, figured the team with the most points, Washington, would sweep them. Or, when the series stood at 3-1, we thought the Caps would win in 5 games. Or 6. Surely they wouldn't lose Game 7 at home would they? Oh, they did. Well, Sidney Crosby and the Pens would surely end their Cinderella run.

Except, here we stand at another Game 7, with the Canadiens staring down the defending champs and the biggest star in hockey. It seems impossible, except this team has already done the impossible. The only precedent for what the Canadiens are doing came in 2006 when the 8th seeded Edmonton Oilers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing in 7 games to Carolina. Montreal's similar run has been led by a blueprint that all underdogs should follow - timely scoring, outworking opponents, and being firmly convinced that destiny is on your side. It could take them past Pittsburgh and well beyond.

2) Biggest Loser - Basketball Fans

-Basketball fans just suffered through a Conference Semifinal round with 3 sweeps. I wouldn't even call the Orlando/Atlanta thing a "series", it was more like a 4 game beatdown (more on that in a sec). The Lakers were never challenged against the Jazz like they were against Oklahoma City. After the high of the Thunder/Lakers duel, the Utah series was a total letdown. The third sweep, Phoenix over San Antonio, was at least a tad compelling. We had the side attraction of Los Suns, interesting games, and an underdog finally conquering one team's voodoo spell over them. But, that's 3 sweeps out of 4! Now, we're stuck without basketball for most of the next week... the West Finals don't start until next Monday. That's more than a week off for both teams! Well, at least there is hockey!

3) Best Performance - Rajon Rondo Game 3

-Bill Simmons has another interesting article in which he legitimately compares Rondo's Game 3 performance, and his numbers throughout this year's playoffs to Bird, Magic, Oscar, Wilt, and Jordan. Wow. That's basically the Mount Olympus of basketball players. Even when Mike Breen said we were watching one of the great Celtic playoff performances in history (Rondo's 29/18/13), it was hard to believe until you see the numbers that no other Celtic had ever had a game like that! Only Oscar and Wilt have had games as prodigious as Rondo. Regardless of who wins the Boston/Cleveland series, one thing is sure, the Rondo Era has begun in Boston.

4) Best Game - Game 6: Canadiens 4 Penguins 3

-One fair criticism of this year's playoffs is the lack of unbelievable games. The best game from the past few days has been the Canadiens surviving Game 6 and forcing a Game 7. The Montreal home crowd lifted the home team in an exciting, competitive game, and they were able to hold on at the end. Let's hope Game 7 provides just a little more drama.

5) Biggest Surprise - Not Closing The Deal

-Throughout these playoffs, the NHL version has been the antithesis of its NBA counterpart. Earlier in the playoffs we discussed the lack of home advantage in the NHL vs the NBA... now, NHL teams cannot close the deal in this round while NBA teams get the brooms out. 3 NHL teams (Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh) have had opportunities to close out series and none have taken the chance. The Hawks and Bruins even blew chances in their own arenas to move on to the Conference Finals. Yes, Philly and Vancouver played well to extend their series, but one has to think its only a matter of time before they bow out. It should surprise nobody if Chicago and Boston bounce back to close the deal on the road... or even if Montreal can beat Pittsburgh and shock the world again.

6) Biggest Playoff Beatdown - Atlanta Hawks

-This has to rank among the all-time great playoff beatdowns, meltdowns, or whatever synonym you can think of to describe a team quitting on its coach, franchise, and each other. Good God. Could Atlanta at least have made one game competitive? At least finished within double digits one time? Would that be so hard to ask? Anybody who thought this was the next young team to take shape and become a legit contender should pack their bags and move to the Chicago or OKC bandwagon. This was such a bad beatdown that I didn't consider watching a second of any game because it was obvious after Game 1 that Atlanta was ready to go fishing. They set a record by losing a 4 game series by 25 points a game! I think that the 3 of us could grab the Van Gundys and the 5 of us could be more competitive than that. At least Stan could probably push Dwight Howard out from the basket a little bit.

**By the way... the Hawks' embarrassment was so profound that it got us thinking about the worst playoff beatdowns of all-time. Stay tuned...**

7) Tuesday/Wednesday Picks

-We'll wrap up the Playoff Pulse by picking the decisive games coming up as we finish the Conference Semifinals...

NHL

Game 6 - Chicago @ Vancouver @ Chicago - Series 3-2 'Hawks (Tuesday)

-Really, but Vancouver hasn't looked close to winning a game at home this series. Chicago has more mental toughness, and will make up for their own lapse of intensity in Game 5. The Hawks go on to face the Sharks.

PICKS: Y1/Y2: Blackhawks

Game 7 - Montreal @ Pittsburgh - Series 3-3 (Wednesday)

-Yes, Halak has done it before, but Sidney Crosby is not Alex Ovechkin. Crosby has won a Stanley Cup and scored the game-winning goal in the Gold Medal Game of the Olympics. Also, don't discount Pittsburgh's victory on the road in Game 7 last year in Detroit to lift the Cup. They know what it takes to win these sort of games, and they know what Montreal will throw at them. The Pens will be ready... I think...

PICKS: Y1/Y2: Penguins

Game 6 - Boston @ Philadelphia - Series 3-2 Bruins (Wednesday)

-There might be nothing more difficult than picking an individual NHL playoff game. I think I've said that before. This series is a perfect example. Just when you think the Bruins are on their way, the Flyers make you think that a 3-0 comeback is possible. So, logic would dictate going against that and picking Boston. That's really the best I can do people!

PICKS: Y1: Bruins Y2: Flyers

NBA

Game 5 - Boston @ Cleveland - Series 2-2 (Tuesday)

-The defining player of this series has shifted from LeBron James to Rajon Rondo. Rondo has been the one putting up sick numbers and taking games over by himself. How will LBJ respond? My take is that he will man up (as the reports indicate) and try to stop Rondo himself while putting up his own ridiculous numbers on offense. This is the most important game of the playoffs so far in either sport, something tells me the King is ready.

PICKS: Y1/Y2: Cavs

The Tiger Project: How Tiger Can Get Back to the Top

With the news today that Tiger Woods has been dumped by swing coach Hank Haney, things seem to be at an all-time low for the once king of all sports. Tiger is injured, his personal life is a mess, and now he's without his trusted mentor since 2005. You might say, this is the lowest point of Tiger's career. So, what steps must Tiger take to get back to his dominant form? Here's a five point plan Tiger's handlers should be following to get his career back on track.

1. Get Healthy

-Even an athlete as great as Tiger Woods is susceptible to injury, and it's abundantly clear Tiger is not in peak physical condition. True, the skepticism of the golf media may be warranted, and who would have ever thought the golf media would be so untrustworthy of their Golden Goose? But, I think you have to take Tiger at his word, because, since the Masters, he's looked a shadow of his former self. Over the last two years alone he's dealt with a severe knee injury, Achilles issues, and now a bum neck. Not even the greatest golfer in the world can survive that run of injuries. No matter how long it takes, TIger needs to get healthy.

2. Settle His Marriage

-In the history of golf, there is no harder obstacle to overcome than a troublesome home life. For a game that's played in the space between your ears, it's incredibly important to be completely at peace with your whole surroundings. And with constant rumors of his wife moving out and an impending divorce, not even Tiger Woods is immune to distraction. Before Tiger can get back to 100% focus on golf, he has to sort out his personal life. Whether that means a divorce or not, he has to find closure before he can compete again consistently.

3. Sit on Oprah's Couch

-In the world of public opinion, there would be no greater healer than having an hour-long chat with the Queen of Daytime TV. While there are many diverging opinions on Tiger's infidelity and the effect it's had on his career, there is one unanimous sentiment, his PR team has been atrocious. From contrived statements on his website, to awkward public statements, to five-minute interviews, Tiger's inner circle has still kept him at arm's length. And while he's begun to give news conferences to the sports media, he needs a larger vehicle to open up to the general public. Thus, Tiger needs to bite the bullet and open up to Oprah and her millions of mostly female fans, beg for forgiveness again, and draw a sympathetic ear. It would be a major boost to the rehabilitation of his image, and might cut down on the number of fans who have to be tasered.

4. Get Back with Butch Harmon

-The departure of Hank Haney basically leaves Tiger as an orphan in the golf/swing coach community. Heck, if Hank Haney can stick with Charles Barkley for months, what does that say about the disarray of Tiger's game? So, where can Tiger go? As much as it might humble him, the best move he can make is reuniting with Butch Harmon, with whom he had his greatest success at the beginning of the 2000s. Although Butch has moved on to Phil Mickelson, there's no reason he wouldn't go back to Tiger if he was sincerely asked. Why not try to recapture that perfect swing that saw Woods hoist the Tiger Slam, or at least get back closer to it? It'd be better than playing out of the wrong fairway consistently, wouldn't it?

5. Remember One Thing, You Are Tiger Woods

-As bulletproof as Tiger Woods once seemed, he has perhaps endured the worst six-month stretch of any great athlete in history. It's completely understandable that Tiger would feel a lack of confidence right now after his missed cuts, scandals, and now the loss of his coach. But, through it all he has to remember one thing, he's Tiger Woods. For much of the last 10+ years, he has been the most dominant athlete in any sport, maybe in history. Even after his six month layoff, with some nagging injuries and a poor excuse for a swing, he still competed at the Masters. Although the road ahead will be difficult, if Tiger can show the determination to get his body, marriage, and swing healthy, there's no reason he can't be that dominant force again.

Well, there you have out five point plan to get Tiger back on track. What are your thoughts? Can Tiger make it back? Can he still break Jack Nicklaus's record? Let us know by leaving a comment below. Also, stay tuned for our continuing coverage of the NBA/NHL Playoffs. Until next time, it's bye for now!

NBA & NHL Playoff Pulse 2nd Round Weekend Deluxe

Last night's playoff action was a pivotal evening with one team staving off elimination, one team on the brink, one team getting back home court, and one team taking its second straight game on the road... and Goran Dragic! Today, the Playoff Pulse hits the NBA and NHL Playoffs to tell you what you need to know from last night's action and looks ahead to the pivotal weekend showdowns.

1) Biggest Winner - LeBron James

-For 3 days we've heard nothing but doom and gloom surrounding LeBron James, his elbow, and the Cavaliers. They lost homecourt, their star was injured, and the LeBron Era would go out with a whimper in Cleveland while Cavs fans watch him leave today for New York, New York. Whispers are even going around that LeBron might not even be good enough to ever win a title. Ok... maybe that was a little premature. For 3 days, LeBron had to sit and listen to this and wait for his chance for redemption. The Cavs needed to win Game 3 and they did... and then some. LBJ outscored the C's 21-17 in the 1st Quarter and led the Cavs to inflict the worst home playoff defeat in Boston. James ended with 38/8/7 and reclaimed homecourt, but more importantly he got his mojo back.

2) Biggest Loser - San Antonio Spurs

-It's been a roller coaster year for San Antonio. Before the season started, we imagined them challenging the Lakers with their astute addition of Richard Jefferson. Then, an injury filled, subpar regular season had them 7th and an afterthought in the postseason. THEN, they beat the Mavs again and looked to be back on track with the emergence of George Hill and DeJuan Blair to help out the Spurs core. In the 2nd round, they faced a team they've bullied the entire decade - the Phoenix Suns. Shockingly, the Spurs have been in all of the games against Phoenix, but have seemed to run out of gas at the end and are on the brink of getting swept. The Suns' energy and improved bench play might finally be enough to see them conquer the Alamo.

3) Best Performance - Jonathan Toews

-Yes, there were flashier performances and probably more memorable ones... but, Jonathan Toews gets our nod for leading the Blackhawks to their second straight win in Vancouver with a hat trick in Chicago's 7-4 win. Toews scored all 3 of his points on the power play and also added 2 assists to take over the scoring lead in the NHL Playoffs. Toews, 22, gets lost in the shuffle of Crosby and Ovechkin, but his leadership from the front has brought the Blackhawks from despair to an appearance in the Conference Finals.

4) Best Game - Game 4: Flyers 5 Bruins 4 F/OT

-With the other 3 games being blowouts, this is an easy choice with the Flyers surviving against the Bruins and getting their first win in the series. Simon Gagne made his first appearance in the series and scored in OT to give the Flyers the win. It's a nice story and a good day for Philly fans... but expect it to be their only joy in this series. The Bruins will win Game 5 and set up a possible grudge match in the Conference Finals with the Pens (remember Matt Cooke knocking out Marc Savard) provided they get by Montreal.

5) Biggest Surprise - Goran Dragic?? Really??

-One of the most underrated cool things about the playoffs is when a guy comes from out of nowhere to put on the performance of a lifetime. That happened last night in Game 3 in San Antonio where little known Goran Dragic scored 23 of his 26 points in the 4th Quarter to pass and put away the Spurs. The 2nd year player from Yugoslavia had what Grant Hill called the best 4th quarter playoff performance he'd ever seen. Considering that the Spurs are 4 for 4 against the Suns in the playoffs since 2003... Dragic's heroics in putting Phoenix up 3-0 was a big deal. The Suns have always lacked that player that could lift the team behind Steve Nash - problem solved.

6) Highlight Play - LeBron's Alley Oop Lay In

-While not a posterization or a chasedown block, this play shows LeBron's sick athletic ability as he's able to take a short lob pass and flip it up and in...

7) Weekend Picks

-We'll wrap up the Playoff Pulse by picking all of the weekend games in the NHL and NBA Playoffs and Y2 joins me for our Weekend Preview...

NHL

Game 5 - Montreal @ Pittsburgh - Series 2-2 - Saturday 7PM

-There might be nothing more difficult than picking an individual NHL playoff game. We established a couple days ago that homeice teams are actually below .500 this year. The most important game of the playoffs for the defending champs is tonight in Game 5 against the Cinderella Canadiens. It's time for the Pens' stars to step up and win a game in the 3rd period. Tonight is the night for Crosby and Malkin to shine.

PICKS: Y1/Y2: Pens

Game 5 - Detroit @ San Jose - Series 3-1 Sharks - Saturday 10PM

-Thanks to the 4 goal effort of Detroit's Mule, Johan Franzen, the Red Wings are still alive against the West's best team. San Jose has a history of shaky playoff play, but they've been able to ride the hot hand of Joe Pavelski to a 3-1 lead. Still, the Red Wings are the defending conference champs, and that series-clinching victory is always the hardest. So, even on the road, I'll favor the veteran Wings to extend the series.

PICKS: Y1: Sharks Y2: Red Wings

Game 5 - Vancouver @ Chicago - Series 3-1 'Hawks - Sunday 8PM

-The Canucks have looked for revenge against the Blackhawks in the playoffs since their defeat to Chicago in this round last year. But, too much sloppy play has led to penalties, which has led to the Blackhawks cashing in on the power play, including 4 in Game 4. Both of us agree that the Canucks look a defeated team, and if the 'Hawks can keep up the pressure on Roberto Luongo, Chicago should close out the Canucks in five.

PICKS: Y1/Y2: Blackhawks

NBA

Game 3 - Orlando @ Atlanta - Series 2-0 Magic - Saturday 5PM

-Ugh. Will anyone watch this game? Orlando swept Charlotte, and they'll continue their run through the southeast by sweeping Atlanta, who has absolutely no answer for Superman. Normally you would expect a team in Atlanta's spot to bounceback... but the Hawks don't seem to have that type of attitude, and this is a terrible matchup for them. I would be shocked if the Hawks win a game in this series... I wonder if we'll hear anyone talk about the Magic going fo fo fo to get to the Finals?

PICKS: Y1/Y2: Magic

Game 3 - LA Lakers @ Utah - Series 2-0 Lakers - Saturday 8PM

-This series has looked remarkably similar to the Lakers' first round series against the Thunder. They were tested at home, but not challenged or threatened greatly in holding serve. They'll face another great home crowd in Utah. The Jazz have a better chance of winning Game 3 than Game 4, so they get one tonight, but it doesn't seem like they have enough firepower to get through the Lakers.

PICKS: Y1/Y2: Jazz

Game 4 - Cleveland @ Boston - Series 2-1 Cavs - Sunday 3:30PM

-The series nearest to my hear, the Celtics got embarrassed on their home court by a Cavs team who finally looked the part of a champion in these playoffs. It seems Game 4 comes down to two factors. First, if LeBron comes out with the same aggressive mentality from the beginning of the game in Game 4 that he did in Game 3, the Celtics have no chance. Balky elbow or not, James is unstoppable when he decides to be. But, the Celtics defense can also play a part by showing up. Second, the Celtics need consistent contributions from all of their top 4 players, most of all Finals MVP Paul Pierce, who aside from a 32 point outburst in Game 3 versus the Heat, is only averaging around 15 PPG in the playoffs. Y1 thinks the former champs will bounce back, while I believe King James is ready to begin his coronation as the ruler of the playoffs.

PICKS: Y1: Celtics Y2: Cavs

Game 4 - Phoenix @ San Antonio - Series 3-0 Suns - Sunday 8PM

-Nobody, not even the diehard Suns fans (if there are such people) saw this one coming. Regardless of what you think about Los Suns, perhaps that has unified and rallied this team together. In fairness though, they have looked like they have had great chemistry all year long with a starting unit and bench that need each other. For the Suns, it's been guys like Jared Dudley and Goran Dragic that look like getting Phoenix back to the Conference Finals. Tough to see Tim Duncan getting swept, but it either happens in Game 4 or 5, so why not just get it over with now, right?

PICKS: Y1: Suns Y2: Spurs

Quick Hits: Lawrence Taylor Charged With Rape... And What It Means For Today's NFL *UPDATED*

On one hand, this headline is cause for stunning news. Yet, on the other hand... it comes as no surprise. In the past few years we've seen Pro Bowl QBs in jail for dogfighting, Super Bowl MVPs in jail for shooting themselves, and 2-time Super Bowl winning QBs accused of sexual assault twice. Now, 0ne of the greatest to ever play in the NFL, Lawrence Taylor, was charged with raping a 16 year old girl today. Evidently, LT paid $300 for the evening with this young girl. The facts are that whether it is consensual or not, Taylor faces felony charges for having sex with someone under the age of 17.

It's only the latest in a long line of problems that have affected the most fearsome defensive player of the 80's. His career was marked with drug abuse. His post-football career only accentuated his reputation of being a druggie and having a problem with cocaine. In a 2006 interview with 60 Minutes, LT talked openly about his issues with drugs and even setting up opponents with prostitutes the night before games (ironic now...). Recently, Taylor was seen on Dancing With the Stars on last year's season of the show. He had stayed out of trouble... until now. Now, Taylor faces a prospect that would give Ben Roethlisberger nightmares. In fairness, Taylor denies the claim... but like Roethlisberger he is again in the public light for a horrid allegation.

So... what does the Lawrence Taylor arrest mean? For the NFL, not much. Roger Goodell won't be able to hand down a suspension and it's not like Taylor is a current player. If anything, it puts a bit of dirt on the Shield that Don Roger has tried so hard to protect and sheds some light on the older, wilder days of the NFL.

What this story is about is a man who has had trouble for most of his adult life. It's about a 16 year old runaway girl being pimped out to ex-football players and had injuries before meeting LT. It's a sad situation all the way around, especially for the young lady involved. It's also a cautionary tale for today's NFL player.

It's a testimony to the big names of the game that have had trouble off the field: for Big Ben, Vick, Tank, countless others, and the first posterchild for the new age of NFL bad boys - PacMan Jones. How ironic is it that PacMan signs a contract to make it rain in Cincinnati the day the original PacMan faces these serious charges. I hope that these guys are watching how LT's life has unfolded, because it could be them some day.

LT made a career out of his special ability to chase down quarterbacks like no one before. Now, his own demons are teeing off on him and Taylor is Joe Theismann. We're all interested because LT is a celebrity - TMZ and the 24/7 talk radio sports media will be all over this story until its conclusion. But let's see if people like Ben Roethlisberger and PacMan and others pay special attention. Will today's current bad boys see the light, be scared straight, or find some other cliche to turn their lives around?

The truth is that it probably won't serve as a wake up call, NFL players are still going to dot the police blotter, and Roger Goodell will still have to enforce his personal conduct policy. But, maybe it should be a wake up call. Forget protecting the shield, the uniform, the team, the city, or whatever. Taylor's case speaks to just how hard it is to get out of trouble and stay out of trouble. Nobody is going to root for PacMan or Big Ben or whoever to get into more trouble and more scandal, but it's going to depend on them to figure it out and turn their lives around. As LT has proven, demons don't stop chasing you when the final whistle blows, it's a lifelong battle.

*UPDATE*: Tonight, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk came out with an article suggesting that the NFL ban former players from the league and Hall of Fame if found guilty of egregious crimes and felonies. Florio cites O.J. Simpson in the Hall of Fame as an example. There's one problem with this theory... OJ Simpson wasn't convicted of a felony (well, at least the first time, he was the second). Anyways, the premise that the NFL should still have jurisdiction on players that have left the league is just plain dumb. Besides, the NFL doesn't have authority over the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so it's a flawed premise.

Florio writes:

The NFL should be proud of every man enshrined in Canton, and every parent who takes a child to the Hall of Fame shouldn't have to quickly nudge him or her along when they linger before the image of a man who has posed both for a bronze bust and for a mug shot.

Wake up Mikey. That's what parents have to do in every NFL city in America today, and not just for Hall of Famers. It's the same tired argument we've heard over and over. You don't think thousands of parents had the same conversations about Vick and Roethlisberger? The Hall of Fame is for the greatest football players of all-time... it's not a reliquary for saints. If you want to make a statement about this issue, tell folks to stop wearing their black and yellow #7 jerseys.

He also states:

We're not suggesting that every player who gets arrested once should be blocked or removed from the Hall of Fame. But there should be a procedure in place for cutting ties with men who commit heinous acts after their careers end. Whether it's done via hard-and-fast rules or on a case-by-case basis, former players should be subject to the same type of banishment that sports like baseball aren't bashful about using, when justified.

Tell me something... what exactly does a retroactive banishment do? I'll wait...

Maybe Mr. Florio should get his facts straight - no ex-player has been banned from baseball for committing a felony. Most of the people banned for life from baseball have been for fixing games, gambling, or bringing the sport into disrepute. Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were banned in 1983 for 2 years by Bowie Kuhn for promoting casinos (I wish I was making up that one), but quickly reinstated by Peter Ueberroth. So, to state that there is some precedent for retroactively banning players from Halls of Fame for off-field behavior is simply foolish at best and purposely misrepresentative at worse.

So, many folks will read another poorly thought out, overhyped piece of "news" from the NFL's Harvey Levin/Drudge Report wanna-be and think we should break into Canton and steal LT's bust. Lawrence Taylor may be innocent or guilty, but nothing that happens after a career is over changes the fact that he was a Hall of Fame football player. As much as Mike Florio would like to do so, he can't create or erase history.

NBA Playoff Pulse: NBA Playoffs So Far

After a week-long blogging sabbatical, I'm back to take a look at the NBA Playoffs so far with our Playoff Pulse. The Playoff Pulse is a regular look at the NBA and NHL Playoffs where we'll analyze the best performances, biggest winners and losers, and as always unique opinions about the big stories in Playoff Time. With one round in the books and the 2nd Round just getting underway, let's look at the Playoff Pulse of the Association.

1) Biggest Winner - Boston Celtics

-Through 7 games played... who would have thought that the aging, dilapidated, broken down Celtics would melt the Heat AND steal homecourt advantage from the Cavaliers. The Celtics resurgence has been nothing short of staggering. Suddenly, they look like the team that won the title 2 years ago instead of the coasting bunch of over the hill players we saw throughout the season. It's not so much that they "turned the switch on" but that they are finally healthy for the first time in more than a year. It's also that the team is relying more on the playmaking abilities of Rajon Rondo instead of hanging on to the Big 3. The Celtics now have a great chance of upsetting the Cavs (more on them in a minute) and going even farther.

2) Biggest Loser - The East... Again

-Another year... another year of great games and great drama out West, and an unremarkable first round in the East. I mean, come on, did Charlotte or Chicago even need to show up for the first round? Yes, Milwaukee put up a valiant fight, but that was awful basketball to watch at times against the Hawks... and we've seen that Atlanta's goal in R2 should be to just finish within 40 points of the Magic each game... and the Heat crumbled in spite of Dwyane Wade. Orlando awaits the winner of the Cavs and Celtics again while the rest of the Eastern seaboard waits for another team to just be competitive and interesting. This year there were 8 West teams that reached 50 wins and only 4 East teams. We keep hearing these things are cyclical and the East will rise again... but I'm wondering if that day will ever come.

3) Best Performance - Dwyane Wade Game 4 vs Boston

-Yes, the Heat were eliminated in the next game, but Wade's remarkable Game 4 performance has been the only transcendent performance in this year's playoffs so far. Wade scored a remarkable 46 points in 43 minutes, many against double and triple teams in the 2nd half and 4th quarter. The pictures of Wade talking to his flame-throwing hand was awesome. Miami fans have to wonder if it was his last great performance in a Heat jersey.

4) Best Game - Game 6: Lakers 95 Thunder 94

-This game is what playoff basketball is all about. The young challengers to the throne throwing everything they have at the team at the top. An insane home crowd that made the incredible atmosphere leap through the TV screen. Drama throughout the game. A spirited comeback. And then, a buzzer beating tip-in by Pau Gasol and an escape from the champs. This series (and Lebron's elbow) have defined the playoffs thus far and shows what's so great about playoff basketball. It also showed that the Lakers won't be giving up their title easily.

5) Biggest Surprise - The Cavs Find A New Way To Disappoint Cleveland

-Ok, maybe this shouldn't be a surprise.

In Ohio, the sky is falling. The Cavs have lost homecourt advantage to the C's. Lebron's elbow is the most talked about injury since Dwight Freeney's ankle. Mo Williams is choking in the clutch again. Shaq sucks. Role players are disappearing. And, Mike Brown still hasn't figured out how to coach his team properly. But, this year it is a surprise because we expected Lebron to have righted the ship, gotten his team focused for an entire playoff run, and that the Cavs wouldn't let this happen again with Lebron on the open market this summer. Wake up Cleveland, it is happening again. The role players need to step up... but so does Lebron James. If he really wants to be the best in the world and win a title, he needs to man up, forget this elbow thing, forget free agency, and forget fancy MVP ceremonies and go win a title.

6) Highlight Play - Russell Westbrook Posterizes Lamar Kardashian

-This isn't only a cool play and an awesome posterization, but it said something about the arrival of Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Even with Kevin Durant struggling, the Thunder challenged the Lakers through 6 games and showed they belonged amongst the elites of the NBA. Westbrook also showed that he could step up and help Kevin Durant lead the Thunder to even greater heights...

7) Biggest Story - Home Court >>> Home Ice

-The biggest story throughout these playoffs on the hardwood and the ice has been the distinct advantage that homecourt offers in the NBA as opposed to the NHL. In the NBA, only two higher seeds were upset in the first round, and neither were surprises. Dallas lost to San Antonio like they usually do, and Denver without George Karl was beaten by Utah. Road teams were 11/45 in Round 1 in the NBA. That's a 24% winning percentage and keep in mind that includes a sweep by the Magic and wins in 5 and 6 games by multiple teams. Lower seeded teams only won 3 games on opponent's home floors.

Compare that to the NHL where road teams won an amazing 26/47 games in R1! That's 55% meaning you have a better chance of winning on the road than at home. Lower seeded teams won a remarkable 14 games on the road including Game 7 wins by Detroit over Phoenix and incredibly the 8th seeded Canadians winning in Washington, who had the best regular season record in the NHL. Could you have imagined the Bulls doing that in Cleveland? Of course not.

So, what does this boil down to? A few factors I believe...

1) Crowds have a much larger effect in the NBA on teams... and referees. Watch the 2nd quarter of Game 2 of the Cavs/Celtics and see how much help the refs were trying to give the Cavs or how much a great home crowd lifts teams. Whether it's a vast conspiracy or not, home teams in the NBA have a big advantage.

2) The NHL Playoffs are more dependent on current form, a la a hot goalie (like Montreal's Jarolslav Halak stonewalling the Caps and making 41 saves in Game 7 while Montreal managed 16 shots the entire game). Rarely can a player on an inferior team carry his group to victory in a 7 game series in the NBA when you're going against the Kobes and Lebrons of the world. In the NHL, the Ovechkins and Crosbys are on the ice for 1/3 of the game and have much less of the puck than Lebron or Kobe.

3) The elite NBA teams are just better. Parity in the NHL is much more prevalent than in the NBA where we have known since before the season started that the Lakers, Cavs, Celtics, Magic, and Spurs would be in the mix at the end.

So, it does make for an exciting and unpredictable Stanley Cup Playoffs... but also a more intense NBA Playoffs where each home game is so critical to keep or take homecourt advantage.

That does it for our Playoff Pulse. We'll be back tomorrow to check in on tonight's action! Bye for now...

Special Comment: Why Los Suns May Not Be Such a Good Thing

For many, sports is the great escape from the mundane and tedious tasks of life. We are able to sit back and not worry about anything more than tackles, touchdowns, 3-pointers, home runs, strikeouts, etc... However, thanks to the actions of Phoenix Suns Owner Robert Sarver, the realm of sports is about to mix with politics and no good can come from that.

I won't delve into my personal feelings about the law because you are here for sports, but there has to be some political input into this. Arizona has been slowly suffering from a decline in the amount of tourists that visit the state, which is not unrelated to their porous borders and threat of violence from roving drug cartels. The Phoenix Suns are a main attraction in the state during the NBA season and they undoubtedly inject precious funds into the Arizona economy. Funds which may start to decline after the infusion of politics into sport thanks to Suns Owner Sarver.

Athletes from Adrian Gonzalez to Steve Nash have recently come out opposed to the immigration law. The political group MoveON.org has even started a campaign to remove the 2011 MLB All-Star Game from Phoenix. While I applaud athletes for taking a stand for their beliefs, there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. And, constantly subjecting the fans of Arizona to this political debate, or worse, punishing the fans of Arizona by removing a previously awarded All-Star game would set a dangerous precedent.

As unpopular as the law seems to be on the nightly news and with all of the pundits, the law actually is quite favorable in Arizona. Their Governor has seen her approval ratings rise some 22 points up to 64% since the passage of the law. So, using simple logic, it can be said that a rise in the approval rating of the Governor means that those people agree with her policies and direction, including the Immigration Law. Now, why would you want to do anything to alienate those 64% of the population and draw more attention to an already volatile situation by actively protesting the law in a setting usually exempt from politics? When you are one of the biggest attractions in the state and you are a key provider of funds for the state via tourism, why would you jeopardize all that to make a political statement which differs from the majority of the state?

Here is the issue with the involvement of Sarver and others sports figures in the political scene in Arizona; alienation (no pun intended). Remember the uproar when Rush Limbaugh stuck his nose into possible owning the Rams? Players were objectioning, the league was up in arms and the political newsreels were wondering how the NFL could ever let someone like Rush enter the league? The NFL did not want someone whose voice is on loan, from God, in the league.

And, whether you want to believe it or not, a large part of the reason why were his controversial political views. So now, some want to take it a step further and exile an entire state from taking part in sports because of political policy? It's surely a slippery slope. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to imagine, if these boycotts are successful, denying a player a contract because of their views on abortion, or not awarding an expansion franchise to a state that voted for the wrong presidential candidate. Do we really want to start a trend of alienating players, fans, or even entire states based on politics?

Now, Sarver is not a polar figure like Limbaugh but he is surely blending the line between politics and sports. There is no way to predict what will happen in the long haul, but it makes no sense for Sarver in the short term to make the request for the "Los Suns" jerseys in tonight's game. The fact that they wish to honor the Latino make-up of their state along with Cinco de Mayo is admirable. Make no mistake, I fully support honoring the heritage of a large portion of the Suns fans, and under normal circumstances, it is a wonderful gesture.

However, there has to be some realization that doing so in the midst of a virulent societal upheaval is not the best business decision, especially when 64% of your state, and possibly, a majority of your fans, support the law. When your livelihood depends on pepole attending your events and buying tickets, would you really want to give a majority of them a reason to not attend? Sports is supposed to be our refuge from the struggles of daily life, not a reminder of why we need that escape.

NBA Playoff Pulse - Live Report from Celtics/Cavs Game 2

As part of our coverage of the NBA Playoffs, yours truly was fortunate enough to take in Game 2 of the Celtics and Cavs last night from "Deep in the Q"...also known as Quicken Loans Arena. While many expected the old tired Celtics to roll over for the Cavs, Boston hit back last night with a dominant 104-86 win. Here now are my first-hand thoughts from being in the arena last night.

*Rajon Rondo is the best player on the Celtics...and it isn't even close.

-Rondo tied a Celtics record last night with 19 assists as he dominated every aspect of the game from start to finish. Sure, Rondo still has issues with questionable decision making and lack of confidence in his jump shot, but the scary thing is he still hasn't reached his ceiling as a player. The presence of the Big 3 helps, but Rondo is now the man on this team. If the Celtics want to win another title, Rondo will have to lead from the front. One thing's for sure, if Rondo continues to make strides in his game, he'll be a Top 10 player in the league for years to come.

*LeBron James may have played his worst playoff game last night.

-It wasn't so much the statistics that tell this story. The King still had 24/7/4, but it was his demeanor throughout the game that was troubling. He spent much of the first 3 quarters deferring to his teammates while again seeming to play with cautious concern over his elbow injury. Even his speech after receiving the MVP trophy seemed subdued as 20,000 plus waved their towels and screamed uncontrollably. If the Cavs have any hope of winning a title, LeBron has to get back to playing with the aggression and determination fans are used to seeing.

*That being said, the most important player for the Cavs is Mo Williams.

-Every Batman needs his Robin, and of all the pieces added around King James (Shaq, Anthony Parker, Antawn Jamison) the most important piece to the Cavs title formula is Mo Williams. Although his scoring burst helped rescue Game 1, Mo struggled mightily last night going 1/9 and scoring 4 points. More than that, he played like a defeated man as Rajon Rondo continued to rip him to shreds. Mo struggled last year against Orlando, and has to raise his game to avoid a repeat.

*The floating corpse on the court wasn't Rasheed Wallace, it was Shaq.

-This was my first experience seeing Shaq in person, and even from the upper deck, the man is a mountain. Funny that David Stern also seemed very short in person as well, but I digress. After his performance though, it might be time for Shaq to ride the pine. For all the talk of the age of the Celtics Big 3, the oldest looking player on the court was the Big Aristotle. His only move now is to back down his defender and dunk, he's lost all touch on his jump hook, and the Cavs would be much better off playing the more athletic J.J. Hickson, who scored 13 points in 19 minutes.

Meanwhile, the demise of Rasheed Wallace was greatly exaggerated. 'Sheed, perhaps responding to Doc Rivers calling him out in the media, scored 17 points and was the key to finally getting some contribution from the Boston 2nd unit. To show how bad 'Sheed has been, he scored 21 points in his previous 6 playoff games combined with the Celtics. He still has to improve defensively, but a little 'Sheed could go a long way if the Celtics want to advance.

*The people who want and deserve a title more than anyone are the Cavs fans.

-It's truly a sight to behold to see 20,000 people standing as one, waving rally towels, and blowing the decibel meter above 100 on a regular basis. Even as the Cavs were scuttling, their fans were with them every step of the way. I'd go as far to say the crowd was the biggest factor in cutting the Celtics 25 point lead to 10 in the final minutes. And even though there were cheesy prompts to elicit boos like Michigan and Yankees logos on the scoreboard, the Cavs fans were amazing, showing how much they want and need a championship.

*Other Random Crowd Notes:

-The second loudest individual cheer of the night...Bernie Kosar. It goes to show you the only thing that would mean more to Cleveland than a Cavs title is a Browns Super Bowl.

-In a sign of how far our educational system has fallen, the Cavs scoreboard has a helpful feature called "The Diff", which automatically gives the difference in score, ridding the need for fans to perform difficult 2nd grade math like subtraction.

-Once the game was in doubt though, it looked like a silent fire alarm had been pulled as fans gushed towards the exit. At least all those people were able to beat the 2,000 folks at the Indians/Blue Jays game to their cars.

*The Cavs should still win the series, but not due to a lack of effort from the Celtics.

-No player was more intense in everything they did last night than Kevin Garnett. From his steely determination in warmups, to his almost neurotic pacing during the Anthem and LeBron's MVP coronation, KG still has a competitive fire that burns more brightly than any other player. Add that to the poise of Ray Allen and the determination of Paul Pierce, and the Celtics won't be going away. But....the Cavs are still the more talented team, and if they awake from their slumber (and Mike Brown gives coaching a try) the Cavs should still pull this out in 7. Unfortunately for both of these teams, neither might be a match for the Orlando Magic when it's all said and done.

That's my take from being there, live at the Q. Make sure to keep up with our thoughts and analysis of the NBA and NHL playoffs. Don't forget to let us know what you think by posting a comment below or following us on Twitter @RSS_Sports. Until next time, it's bye for now.

Playing Pepper

Well folks, here we are one month into the 2010 MLB Season and there have been some interesting happenings. There have been some surprises, disappointments, "wow" moments and funny moments all throughout the majors and I will touch 'em all in this look around the majors after the one month mark.

1st Base (Surprises)

San Diego Padres: A team that was picked by many to finish in the cellar of the NL West is off to a 16-9 clip and sit atop the division by 1.5 games over the Giants. The Padres are tearing it up at Petco (10-3) with Chase Headley having the hot bat hitting .327 to go along with the power game Adrian Gonzalez bring game after game. Their pitching staff has been fantastic so far with Kevin Correia (4-1, 3.86 ERA) and Jon Garland (3-2, 2.06 ERA) to go along with Heath Bell (7 Saves, 1.80 ERA) and keep the powerful Dodgers and rising Giants from gaining any ground. Will this last? Who knows, but it has to be a great thing to see for the people from the city named after an old, old wooden ship.

2nd Base (Disappointments)

I have to go with the Red Sox as the biggest disappointment so far in the 2010 season. They are currently sitting at 11-14 in a very competitive AL East but they are 2 games beind the Blue Jays!! The dreadful hitting clinics being put on by Victor Martinez, David Ortiz and J.D. Drew are enough to make any Sox fan cry. When you are seeing Darnell McDonald highlights on ESPN, you know that there are players who aren't producing at the plate the way Francona has seen in the past. When Clay Buccholz is the only starter whose ERA is under 4.50 (2-2, 2.19 ERA) and your ace, Beckett, is 1-0 in 6 starts with a 6.31 ERA, there are some mutterings going on in Boston, not to mention panic at the Worldwide Leader seeing one of their beloved teams not starting hot. Yankee fans; revel in it now. Who knows when/if the Sox will revive; they better how sooner than later.

3rd base ("Wow" Moments)

To me, the "wow" moment this season has to be Philly management shoveling a $125 million truckload of money to Ryan Howard for the next 5 years. To me, Howard is Adam Dunn with a World Series ring. If you look back at his career starting back in 2004, he has only hit .300 once (.313 in 2005) and hovers generally around a .260 clip. He strikes out totals since 2006 are 188, 199, 199 and 186. He is good to strike out once every 3 times at bat, and even though he has hit 40+ HR's the past 4 seasons with 130+ RBI, he is not someone I would've put $25 million a year into at the ripe old age of 30. Philly fans have to be wondering why they didn't spend that money on Lee when he was there; could you imaging Halladay and Lee going 1-2 in that rotation? They would be a lock to win the 2010 World Series. Instead, management wants to put that extra money into Howard when he is hitting the age when bat speed starts to fall and the game gets a little too quick. Will the Phillies regret not putting the money into starting pitching? Only time will tell.

Home (Funny Moments)

This one has to be a toss up between Javier Vazquez's struggles in New York and Alfonso Soriano's fielding prowess in Chicago but I will go with Vazquez. As of his last start on Saturday, Vazquez sits with a 9.78 ERA and a 1-3 record along with 8 HR's given up and 25 ER. The Yankess and Cashman are always lauded for their offseason moves and the one that sent Melky Cabrera packing for Javier Vazquez was one of them. Javier was supposed to shore up their rotation and get the Yankess closer to a repeat title. Unfortunately, the numbers he is putting up are in no way becoming of a great Yankee pitcher. The guy has only had 5 seasons in his career where he posted a sub-4.00 ERA and they traded Melky for him? I guess his 2009 season in Atlanta was an illusion. If he doesn't turn things around quickly he is going to lose his spot in the rotation, which may allow Joba to get a shot, which will bring more hilarity to an already great situation to watch every 5th day in the Bronx.

That does it for this edition of Playing Pepper, where we look at the Surprises, Disappointments, "Wow" Moments and Funny Moments that take place between the foul lines. Until next time; be careful out there!

NHL Playoff Pulse - Round 2 Picks

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, we are going to talk some NHL on Randall Simon's Sausages. Now that we've hit Round 2, it's time for us to focus in on the NHL and NBA Playoffs. We'll have a regular feature called our Playoff Pulse, which will keep you updated with the best performances, biggest chokes, and most interesting observations on the ice and hardwood. It's the perfect place for fans to come who love playoff action! So, with that, let's preview the Conference Semis in the NHL!

Eastern Conference

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (8) Washington

-The lone Top 4 seed to advance out of the 1st round of the East just happens to be the defending Stanley Cup Champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins. But, instead of the dream matchup with Ovechkin's Capitals, it's Jaroslav Halak and the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens were able to pull the upset based on large part to Halak standing on his head, timely and tough defense, and a lack of heart from the Caps. Unfortunately for those north of the border, the Pens don't suffer from such a problem. Add to that Malkin and Crosby playing as well as they have all year, and this one should be over soon. Pick: Pens in 5

(6) Boston vs. (7) Philadelphia

-A running theme in these playoffs has been rookie goalies rising to the occasion, one of which is Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. Rask is stepping in for Tim Thomas and has proved cool under pressure, even outdueling Olympic hero Ryan Miller in Round 1. Meanwhile, the Flyers dominated the 2nd seeded Devils in Round 1 and are being led from the front by their two best players, Chris Pronger and Mike Richards. However, the difference in the series will be the return of Bruins C Marc Savard from a concussion, one of the most underrated players in the league. Pick: Bruins in 7

Western Conference

(1) San Jose vs. (5) Detroit

-Sure, San Jose got past their 1st round bugaboo, but their reward is facing the defending Western Conference champion Red Wings. The Wings reminded me a lot of the Spurs this season, coasting just enough to get in, and then raising their game in the postseason to down a game Coyotes team on the road in Game 7. The emerging star for the Sharks is Joe Pavelski, who is tied for the playoff lead with 7 goals and has surpassed Olympic teammates Heatley, Marleau, and Thornton. Add to that the Wings are starting another rookie goalie in Jimmy Howard, and this looks like a golden opportunity for the Sharks...but, then again, these are the Red Wings. And, as the series gets longer, their veterans will be enough to pull them through with another Game 7 win on the road. Pick: Wings in 7

(2) Chicago vs. (3) Vancouver

-This is the series with the most anticipation because, frankly, these two teams don't like each other. The Blackhawks dumped Vancouver out of the playoffs last year thanks to a Patrick Kane hat-trick, and there have been several incidents between the teams throughout the regular season. Both teams have dynamic offenses with Vancouver led by Ryan Kesler and the Sedin twins while the Blackhawks have their young guns of Kane, Toews, and their new acquisition Marian Hossa. The goaltending matchup is also surprisingly even with the much heralded Roberto Luongo battling Hawks rookie Antti Niemi, both of whom can range from superb to subpar. However, the difference will be in the special teams, where the Blackhawks have dominated so far in the playoffs on the power play and penalty kill. Pick: Hawks in 7

There's our attempt at covering the NHL, and we're all still in one piece, right? Join us throughout for our regular recaps and look aheads in both the NHL and NBA. We'll be back to reset heading into Round 2 of the NBA playoffs soon as well. Until then, it's bye for now!